Summer Place in Lakewood Honors a Son’s Legacy Through Food and Giving

Walking into Summer Place feels like visiting a restaurant on the California coast, with its light and airy atmosphere, teakwood accents and steps cascading through the dining area. As patrons take in the 280-degree view of Lake Erie and the Cleveland skyline in the distance, this spot along the shore clearly summons the feel of a seaside escape.

Opened in 2020 by Tony and Kristine George, the Lakewood restaurant also serves as a tribute to the couple’s late son, Michael, who was born with Down syndrome and diagnosed with leukemia at age 15.

“We were building this restaurant off and on while he was in and out of the hospital,” Tony says. “My wife and I decided to name it Summer Place because his favorite place was Kelleys Island, Ohio.”

Throughout the restaurant, paintings and acrylic-mounted photographs depicting Michael with his family and friends at Kelleys Island line the dining space and the hallway that leads to the adjoining Carlyle on the Lake condominiums.

The restaurant’s menu plays on coastal and Mediterranean influences, using fresh and organic ingredients and keeping all dishes free of nut-based oils. Appetizers on the dinner menu include whipped feta, crispy Brussels sprouts and hummus, while entrees range from Great Lakes walleye to short rib to Michael’s Favorite (fire-roasted kebobs with chicken, beef, herbs, seasonal vegetables, beet tzatziki and pita). Salads, flatbreads, pastas, sides and a raw bar round out the dinner-menu options. 

The brunch menu features favorites like chicken and waffles and a classic Benedict, as well as shareables like its Famous Clothesline Bacon and deviled eggs. A solid lineup of cocktail, bourbon and wine selections, and separate bar menu round out the experience.

Summer Place offers more than just good food and stunning lakeside views though. The restaurant’s profits are shared with Awakening Angels, a nonprofit organization that supports adults and children with Down syndrome, autism and other developmental disabilities. The Georges also helped fund the construction of the Michael T. George Student Success Center at St. Edward High School in Lakewood, which provides inclusive education programs for students with developmental disabilities.

“I don’t think there’s any restaurant in the country that does what we do and gives what we give,” Tony says. “And we do it to honor our son, Michael, who was the joy and glue that held our whole family together.”  

12900 Lake Ave., Unit 2, Lakewood 44107, 216/270-2300, summerplacecle.com

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